Are we never going to see Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight title? How long are we ready to wait before moving on to something else and blaming Jones for refusing us the only fight for the division? In addition, the strongest man in the old world fights (still) on Saturday, and it should be … memorable.
All this and more in this week's postal bag. To ask your own question, hit @benfowlkesmma Or @ benfowlkes.bsky.social.
@ Beastin364: Ariel's last update gave the impression that Jon Jones is the only one to show the Aspinall fight. When should the UFC accept, it will never do it and will move on?
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This summer. If this summer goes and goes and the UFC looks at an autumn calendar that does not have Jon Jones against Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight UFC somewhere, it should be. Forget that. Pass. Strip Jones of the truck belt and ask Aspinall to fight someone else for the real one.
Jones had the chance to say yes – or to give any indication that he is ready to defend his belt against the only reasonable opponent for this – and if he lets most of 2025 without accepting, then we must accept that he intentionally avoids him. Only he knows why. I can't make myself believe that Jones is really afraid of Aspinall. But at one point, no matter why. This is the fight. Either you will do it or you are not.
What if he decides to go with right? Sorry to say it, but it will be a persistent task on the already complicated heritage of Jones. Fans will remember the way he insisted to fight against an old version and reassured of the Stipe Miocic ring instead of defending the title of heavy goods vehicles against the interim champion. They will remember that, as regards two major fights against two great men – Aspinall and Francis Ngannou both – Jones fought zero.
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His curriculum vitae to a light heavyweight always makes him one of the best of all time, but if he leaves sport this way, it could be all the boost we need to consider Jones as something just short of THE best.
@Jedkmeshew: on a 4 -length expenditure scale 2: High voltage, how excited you are for Pudz against Eddie Hall? Myself, I am at least to the beekeeper if not a complete crank 2.
I am very happy to say that I have not seen only one of these films, but yes, you know that I will watch Mariusz Pudzianowski against Eddie Hall on Saturday afternoon. Just the large physical scale. Muscles. Stiff and clumsy punches. The gas tanks that will be emptied in the opening minute. It is pure entertainment.
In addition, KSW always gives his fans a spectacle. You connect to one of these events and it looks like a big noisy and stupid spectacle – which should be what combat sports should be. Then you throw nearly 600 pounds of vascular humanity in the main attraction and you yourself have a recipe for success.
@Ryan_harkness: Mac vs chandler at the UFC 317 – crazy or crazy like a fox
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First of all, Conor McGregor probably never fought at the UFC. He is too busy claiming that he was going to present himself to the presidency of Ireland on a platform which, if it was adopted by other countries, would mean that he could never go back on vacation again, because he is used to committing crimes in foreign land.
Second, let's admit that Michael Chandler is deeply damaged goods at this stage. He has 2-5 at the UFC. It was absolutely destroyed by Paddy Pimbett. Beating it would not even be really impressive for McGregor at the moment, and yet the 2025 version of McGregor is so far from this life and most likely out of shape that it could be the only light weight of the UFC that Chandler could still potentially beat.
Honestly? If McGregor decided to come back, it would be almost more difficult than it was worth the UFC matchmakers. Because they would be those responsible for finding an opponent against whom he could really obtain a victory.
@Worldsworsthero: What has surprised you in the past ten years? Also, what is not surprising?
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The extent to which the UFC has drained a large part of the pleasure of this sport surprised me. Put each fighter in the same clothes, limiting exciting or creative entries, which makes fighters more difficult to stand out as an individual – all this surprises me from a company that produces live events.
It is perhaps because the UFC considers itself more as a content production company than as a live entertainment product these days. The business leaders learned to earn more money on a less interesting product, and it was a bad development for fans and combatants. He took the interest of fans for acquired and made the fighters more interchangeable.
The UFC is a well -oiled machine that produces a very coherent product now, but McDonald's too. There is a similarity and madness to that and it is not very fun, even if it is very profitable.
What is not surprising is how better all the fighters are. And not only the champions, but almost at all levels. The range of skills, global athletics, innovations of tactics and techniques – all this is at a much higher level than ten years ago. I have the impression that we expect it to wait for us and that we tell ourselves that it would happen. Now it's really, really.
@Mike_Fierce: could Paddy the Baddy really be for real?!? Or does 7-0 UFC record a mirage?!?
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You can maintain a paper tiger in the UFC only for so long. Finally, if the skills are not there, it will be exposed. The reverse occurred with Paddy Pimbett. The more we see of him, the better he seems to obtain himself. He looked spectacular in his victory over Chandler, especially in certain areas where he had trouble in the past. At this point, we must give man his due.
@ nickj812: How would Fedor against Randy been played? (And will the MMA still have something like that sorry … Err never?))
Feel like there, it is too much MMA filling currently with few fights / events to worry.
Randy Couture was 44 years old when he “resigned” as UFC heavyweight champion in order to go and fight Fedor Emelianenko by himself. This is my way of saying that I would have chosen Fedor at the time.
The Russian Russian strength, speed and power would all have been too much for this sewing version. I also do not think that Couture could have counted on the melee and putting it on the ground, which was its path to victory in most fights. Couture never had this lighting power on the feet, but Emelianenko did it a lot. They would both have earned a heap of money, but Couture would have finished the night watching the lights.
@Autoheartcord: How do you feel like you have looked at a complete mania … The year after the best consensual mania forever?
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I haven't watched a full wrestlemania for probably six or seven years, and I really enjoyed it … Until the main night event. John Cena and Cody Rhodes did not deliver as much excitement as the show of the previous night. Obviously, the more you build something, the more you have to deliver it to prevent it from feeling a disappointment. And there is no way to convince me that a surprise appearance of Travis Scott is quite good.
Before that, I had a good time. And I have to thank all the great writers of non -crown for this. Read and help modify their stories in the week preceding the event really made me pump while giving me the context I needed to catch up. Now if you apologize, I need to order a Seth Rollins T-shirt.
@ Mred315: What would friends and family say you – better Babyface or heel?
Heel for sure. I cannot withdraw the role of Babyface. At best, I am the heel which is temporarily spoken of an alliance of mutual advantages with a beloved babyface, only to betray it at the end when I can no longer quit its disgusting positivity and its desperate need for large public approval. I will also insist that my entrance music includes my own song terribly out of the key, just to piss off people.
